Thinkpads Forum

I have an old T42 that's worked for me forever, it's still plenty fast, but I'm hesitant to do a major repair on it at this point if anything else crops up, e.g. the backlight burns out again. I'm trying to figure out what to replace it with.

In the past two years, I've ordered both a T400s and a T410s and returned both because the screens were so awful. (They both had significant other issues that facilitated the return, e.g. warped cases so they could only make three-point contact with a table.) What did I find awful about the screens? Terrible contrast and black levels (industry-worst according to review measurements) and zero viewing angle, i.e. no head/screen position from which some part of the screen wouldn't invert/fade dramatically. Movies and photos look awful, but at least to me, the low-contrast, washed-out screen is annoying even for word processing. When I complained on these forums, I was struck that about half the posters agreed with me and the other half had completely the opposite reaction. I'm pretty sure we were all looking at the same screens, although some people seem to think there's a fair bit of variation because Lenovo sources from different vendors for the same models.

I suppose it's unlikely a T420s is going to have a screen that's any better, right?

I do a fair bit of traveling so I'd like something on the lighter side, but also with a full-size keyboard and screen. I don't have extravagant processing power needs, I basically run Office a lot, browsers, and basic statistical software on occasion.

I'm increasingly wondering whether I should be jumping ship and getting a MacbookPro (with matte screen) instead, although I don't like the huge price premium or the need to switch and learn a new platform. Advice?

There is no option on LCD except for the factory option on 1600x900 display.

You can go for HP Dreamcolor which is IPS or Dell Precision which also has IPS option or so I heard.

Macbook Pro will get you probably a better LCD though there is supposed to be some sort of panel lottery. Still it's only TN. Going ipad may get you IPS with glossy screen.

X220 has an option for IPS though it's small 12.1" 16:9 and only 768 pixels vertically.

Unless something happens the entire world is stuck with crappy 16:9 TN LCD on their notebooks for the most part.

niccolo wrote:I have an old T42 that's worked for me forever...In the past two years, I've ordered both a T400s and a T410s and returned both because the screens were so awful.

Does this T42 have a TN or an IPS screen? I am asking because I have never seen a T400s/410s in person and would like to get a feel for how bad their screens are.

There's a panel lottery for ThinkPads too.

For example, on my X100e, I got a really nice Samsung panel. Most others got a supposedly horrid LG panel. Luck of the draw unless you want to replace it yourself.

I suppose the T520 with an FHD screen would be too bulky?

Yup, I think a T520 would be too bulky. As for Samsung vs. LG, my impression was in the T4xx series, most people on this forum think the Samsungs are drawing the short stick and the LGs are better. I haven't heard of any side-by-side comparisons, though.

My T42 has one of the old Flexview screens (which I believe were IPS), it still looks great more than six years later! Don't get me started on how nice the aspect ratio is, either...

But my expectations are realistic, a good TN screen is fine for me. I believe matte MacBooks have 400 or 500:1 contrast ratio TN screens. The T400s tested at an industry-worst 98:1. The T410s I had and returned was at least as bad as the T400s I also returned. I haven't seen a T420s but it doesn't sound like anyone thinks things have improved.

I get why sourcing IPS screens for the T4xx series, even as an option, may not be viable for Lenovo, although it's too bad. I don't get why Lenovo has to source the very worst screens in the industry.

I have a T420s. I don't do anything graphic related and I'm pretty sure I'm inclined to be less finicky about screen appearance in comparison to others in general, but I love the laptop sufficiently that even though I can objectively tell that the screen is inferior to a MBP or Sony screen or earlier IPS screens, the rest of the laptop more than compensates. Viewing angles are usable and comfortable straight on, and from the side not too bad, but not much play with vertical changes. I actually can't use the screen at full brightness... usually 12/15 on AC and 8/15 on battery is sufficient. As to contrast or color reproduction, I haven't tweaked them nor measured at all, but I could see how people might describe colors as faded. On the downside, right away I noticed the grid is quite visible with lighter backgrounds, just with the laptop on my lap (distance of screen to eyes maybe 18-24 inches), and there is a fair amount of 'speckliness'. So, my estimation is, that the screens probably haven't improved from the T400 or T410. What I consider to be 'meh' is probably something you'd be less happy with. I would no doubt have paid several hundred dollars more to have whatever Sony uses for their 1920x1080 13 inch Z series if I could have, even having already paid a hefty premium for everything else that I like about Thinkpads and this particular thin and light model, but I knew going in that I wouldn't have been happy with a Sony for so many other reasons. As for a MPB, well, other reasons, but I prefer the TP, so I'm stuck with their screen choices.

I did worry about the 16x9 because I had been using a 1400x1050 T60 for a long time and already felt pinched for vertical resolution anytime I had to look at someone's 16x10 widescreen display. Not having any choice (I still Thinkpads are the best out there broadly speaking) I made the best of it by moving Window's task bar over to the side of the screen and Windows 7's little trick of snapping Windows into a left/right configuration is sufficiently usable to me now that half I'm kind of running apps in side by side 8:9 proportion instead of one 16:9 screen. I also realized a lot of the log files I have to stare at are sort of easier to look at stretched to 16x9, so at least one thing in the aspect ratio improved for me personally. Can't say media looks better, because I don't look at media on it.

I'm not sure how to tell who made this screen- I'm curious, but not enough so to take the lid apart. If there is a simple way to tell, I can report to you which vendor supplied mine.

There is a very detailled private T420(s) review in the web explaining the visible grid on one worse panel option for this thinkpad. Other manufacturers produced panels without a visible grid.

The 14 inch T40 series has very nice TN panels with good contrast and relatively good viewing angles. You can compare it to the actual macbook panels. The actual macbook TN panels have a contrast ratio up to more than 700:1.

You could not even rest your palm on the small x220, but it has a cheap IPS display panel option.

When comparing the T420 to the T420s you have around the same weight once both notebooks have the same battery life. Lenovo cheats the customer with the T420s by selling a "T420s six cell battery" which has a far less runtime - and weight, footprint - than the "T420 six cell battery". Compare a T420s with 6cell battery + ultrabay battery to a T420 with six cell battery and without dvd, they will be both of around the same weight, and the T420 may even run longer.